1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk loading device for a disk player and a method for using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk loading device for a car disk player which has no disk tray, and a method for using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a disk drive is a system for recording information to a disk and/or for reproducing recorded information from the disk. Examples of such disks includes compact disks (CD), CD-ROMs, digital video disks (DVD), DVD-ROM and the like. Such a disk drive is provided with a disk loading device for loading a disk into a position for recording information to the disk or for reproducing recorded information from the disk. The disk introduced into the disk player from the front side thereof by the disk loading device is loaded onto a turntable and then clamped by a chucking unit capable of being rotated. While the disk is rotating on the turntable, an optical pickup moves in the radial direction of the disk to record information to the disk or to reproduce recorded information from the disk.
In the case of a car disk player, the disk loading device can directly load a disk without a tray, which is eliminated due to space limitations. Furthermore, there are disk loading devices capable of classifying and loading different-sized disks, so that the disk player can use different-sized disks, such as an 80mm disk and a 120 mm disk.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional disk loading mechanism for a car disk drive. With reference to FIG. 1, the operation for loading an 120 mm disk will now be described.
The 120 mm disk 1 is introduced into the disk player in the front direction A. The introduced disk 1 is then engaged with a disk feeding roller 11 which is provided in a main chassis 10. At the same time, a disk detecting sensor (which is not shown) detects the presence of the disk, and a motor 3 is driven by a signal from the disk detecting sensor, thereby rotating the feeding roller 11. Then, the disk is introduced into the main chassis 10, and a side of the disk comes into contact with and pushes pin 12a of locking lever 12 outwardly, as shown in FIG. 2. Thereby, the locking lever 12 is swiveled and a locking pin 12b is released from a first locking recess 13a provided in a first guide lever 13.
Then, disk 1 is further introduced and guided while being in contact with a first guide pin 13b provided in the first guide lever 13 and a second guide pin 14a provided in a second guide lever 14, as shown in FIG. 3. Disk 1 then pushes away the guide pins 13b, 14a. Levers 13 and 14 are then pushed and swiveled in opposite directions by disk 1, which is now completely introduced into the chucking position, as shown in FIG. 4. The locking pin 12b of the locking lever 12 is locked into a second locking recess 13c, provided in the first locking lever 13, thereby fixing the first guide lever 13. The second guide lever 14 is also fixed because it is linked with the first guide lever 13. Furthermore, disk 1, which has moved into the chucking position, pushes away the left end of a pushing lever 15 swiveling it. Then the right end of the pushing lever 15 pushes a cam guider 20 in direction B.
The cam guider 20 is moved in direction B and then a driving gear, which has been idled without being engaged with a rack gear 21 of the cam guider 20, becomes engaged with the rack gear 21. The cam guider 20 is continuously moved in direction B by the cooperation between the driving gear 4 and the rack gear 21.
Referring now to FIG. 6, as the cam guider 20 moves in direction B, a guide pin 23, provided in the cam guider 20, moves a sliding member 16 rightward while moving along a cam slot 16a formed in the sliding member 16. While the sliding member 16 is moving rightward, edge 16b of the sliding member 16, which has a certain shape, comes into contact with and pushes a guide pin 12c provided in the right end of the locking pin 12. This causes the locking pin 12b to be released from the second locking recess 13c. Guide pin 14b is also swiveled while being guided by a cam slot 16c, which is also provided in the sliding member 16. The first and second guide levers 13 and 14 are also swiveled in linkage with each other, and the guide pins 13b and 14a are separated from the disk 1. The cam guider 20 pushes the pushing lever 15 and thus the pushing lever 15 is swiveled and separated from the disk 1. While the cam guider 20 is moving in this way, a chucking lever 30 is lowered along a cam slot 25 which is provided in the cam guider 20 and chucks the disk 1, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the disk is seated on the turntable, now capable of being rotated.
The unloading operation of disk 1 is performed in the inverse order of the loading operation as described above.
The operation for loading an 80 mm disk will now be described. Referring to FIG. 8, a disk 2 is introduced into the main chassis 10 in direction A. Of course, the entrance of the disk 2 is detected by a sensor like disk 1 and the feeding roller 11 is driven by the signal outputted from the sensor, whereby the disk is conveyed into the main chassis 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the disk 2 pushes a guide pin 17a provided in a first linkage lever 17. This occurs while disk 2 is moved to the chucking position. Referring now to FIG. 10, the first linkage lever 17 is swiveled about the guide pin 14a in direction C, and the pin 17b forces a second linkage lever 18 to be swiveled in direction D. Pin 15a of the pushing lever 15 is then drawn by the second linkage lever 18 and the cam guider 20 is pushed to a predetermined distance in direction B. This configuration is identical as that shown in FIG. 5, and thus the cam guider 20 is moved in direction B by the driving gear 4. Referring to FIG. 11, sliding member 16 is linked to the guide pin 23 of the cam guider 20 and thus moved rightward. Consequently, sliding member 16 comes into contact with and rotates guide pin 12c of the locking lever 12, and the locking pin 12b is released from the locking recess 13c. As the guide pin 14c of the second guide lever 14 is guided by the cam slot 16c of the sliding member 16 to a predetermined distance, the first and second guide levers 13 and 14 are oppositely swiveled over a predetermined angle in relation to each other. Therefore, each guide pin 13a, 14a is separated from the disk 2. Of course, the chucking lever 7 is also lowered and chucks the disk in such a manner such that disk 2 is capable of freely rotating on the turntable.
In the case of the conventional disk loading device for the disk player constructed as described above, mechanisms for linking the cam guider 20 used in loading a disk are different from each other depending on whether the 120 mm disk is loaded or the 80 mm disk is loaded. Therefore, there is a problem in that a large number of components are needed and the construction is very complicated.
For example, because the cooperation between the first and second linkage levers 17 and 18 for loading the 80 mm disk is not always smoothly performed, a malfunction can be generated which causes the disk to be mis-seated. Also, there is the problem of power loss caused by the course of power transmission between the respective connecting members.